“But why?” Ken asked, when Maggie paused for a brief moment, letting her words sink in.
“Because then Lysa would have to die,” Lipton answered for Maggie. “The Key has to be destroyed in order to unlock the Dark Pole, right?” Lipton glanced at Maggie for confirmation.
Maggie nodded. “Yes, Lysa would have to sacrifice herself if she was to be used as the Key to unlock the Dark Pole. Most of the Enchantresses were dead set against Lysa being used as the bait, but Lysa was up for it because she knew that she was doing this for the greater good. If she died, then Athena would die, putting a stop to Athena’s mission to conquer the world to become the Supreme Ruler. Everyone blamed Jenna for coming up with this idea in the first place, for nobody wanted Lysa to die as she was a really good-hearted Enchantress. Jenna never intended for Lysa to die, and tried to figure a workaround for all of this, hoping that they could find some supernatural fix so that Lysa could unlock the Dark Pole without being destroyed. Jenna went through every magical book that was accessible, and tried to find a magical way around this so Lysa didn’t have to die. Unfortunately, there was no workaround. And Lysa had to be destroyed in order for the Dark Pole to be unlocked. So all the Enchantresses made a unanimous decision not to let Lysa go on with this life-threatening plan, and they had to come up with Plan B. Jenna vowed to find another way to get rid of Athena one way or another. But as weeks passed, more evil deeds were carried out by Athena, and she was becoming more elusive than ever. Nobody could catch her as she was growing smart and cunning. Athena committed unimaginable crimes that set the whole town in a state of frenzy. Jenna knew that Athena had to be stopped at all costs, but no magic was strong enough to track Athena and capture her.”
“Athena was the most powerful Enchantress of her time?” Lipton asked, trying to picture this intriguing yet notorious woman in his mind, chills running down his spine at the thought of the evil striking resemblance to Catan.
“Yes, she was considered the most powerful Enchantress, and no Enchantresses were able to stop her. Everyone was at their wit’s ends, trying to figure a way to stop Athena. Then one night, out of the blue, Lysa disappeared. Everyone tried to look for her but she was gone, just like the wind. When Jenna and the Enchantresses realized that she was gone, they knew what had happened …” Maggie’s voice choked with emotions.
“What happened to Lysa?” Ken asked, unable to hide the anxiety showing on his face.
“She went to look for Athena, offering herself up as the Key, the sacrifice,” Maggie responded in a dejected voice. “Yes, Lysa knew the gravity of Athena’s crimes, and she couldn't bear to see them unfolding before her eyes anymore, so she decided to take matters into her own hands and become the sacrifice for the great cause of humanity. Nobody even knew that Lysa had planned this, and they couldn’t stop her from going through with this because it was already too late. So she offered herself up as the Key of the Dark Pole, offered to be used to unlock the Dark Pole. Lysa went to an unknown location where she made herself available to be used as the Key at anytime. Lysa had cast a spell so that she would be found by Athena, making it known that she was the Key to the Dark Pole which Athena needed to use to unlock. Athena finally got to Lysa, overcome with greed and gratification at the discovery of the Key who would unlock the Dark Pole for her. Athena knew that she had to destroy Lysa in order to access the Dark Pole, so she killed Lysa, gaining access to one of the most powerful Poles in the Universe. The Dark Pole was finally unlocked, and all its dark powers streamed out in magnitudes, consuming Athena with such ferocity that Athena couldn’t bear it … and she was eventually killed. Dark powers were released into the world, creating mayhem. People were infected by the darkness that swarmed the world like raging flood, and their hearts turned cold and evil. People started cold wars, making a complete mess of the world. World Wars were on the verge of eruption, and everyone turned against one another. In order to maintain the balance of light and darkness of the world, the Good Pole had to be unlocked to release its content of good magic into the world.
So the Enchantresses had to seek the other Key which unlocked the Good Pole. They had no idea who the other Key was, so one of them performed a tracking spell to locate the other Key. To their dismay, they eventually found out that the other Key was a vampire named Henry Lovins. Now in order to unlock any of the Poles, the Key has to be destroyed … which means that Henry had to be killed in order to unlock the Good Pole … but the problem was … he couldn’t be killed since he was a vampire. Vampires can’t die, unless they’re staked at the heart. It wouldn’t be an easy task to kill Henry.”
Lipton held one hand up to interrupt. “But why kill Henry? Henry might have been a good vampire who didn’t mean any harm to anyone. It doesn’t sound fair to him. The good Enchantresses you told me about seemed intent on killing him, without finding another way. What if Henry turned out to be a good vampire? I didn’t think that the Enchantresses should resort to killing him …”
Maggie scoffed. “You think it was an easy decision for the Enchantresses to make? It wasn’t. The Supreme Darkness from the Dark Pole has been completely unleashed, and it was rapidly invading the whole world, spreading the seed of evil everywhere. People started hating each other, killing each other. It also affected the Enchantresses, but they were still able to maintain a semblance of goodness in them due to the good magic still existing within their bodies. But they knew that they couldn’t wait long to act, because sooner or later, the good magic within them would be completely eliminated by the Supreme Darkness that was taking its toll on the world. They had to kill Henry for the greater good, whether he liked it or not. There was no other way around it. If there were, they would have done it sooner …”
Lipton didn’t like hearing all of that. First, an innocent Enchantress named Lysa had to sacrifice herself to unlock the Dark Pole, as she was the only Key assigned to be its guardian. And now, the other Key was a vampire named Henry, who could also be an innocent just like Lysa. It seemed that whoever was assigned as the Key to either the Dark or Good Pole would have a tragic end as they needed to be destroyed in order to unlock the Pole. What if one of his loved ones was assigned as the Key? What if … Lipton didn’t even want to venture into that possibility. The thought of Jesse being assigned as the Key was too overwhelming for him, and for a moment, he thought he had a panic attack and couldn’t breathe.
Seeing that Lipton had no questions to ask, Maggie continued. “So they were finally able to locate Henry Lovins, who stayed in the remote hills miles and miles away from Savenah. A group of four Enchantresses made a trip there, prepared with magical stakes to kill Henry. When they finally confronted him, it wasn’t a pretty picture. Henry turned out to be a temperamental vampire with aggressive tendencies, and when he found out that the Enchantresses were out to kill him, his temper flared. He was so agile and fast that he managed to kill three of the Enchantresses with his supernatural prowess before they even had the chance to launch their attacks on him. Only one Enchantress was left standing, and she had a face-off with Henry. She used her powers against him, crippling him for a short moment, but Henry was so strong that he was able to regain his strength fast enough to retaliate. They were engaged in an endless battles, using wit and magic. The last Enchantress, Patty Seffes, was losing the battle. She had her magical stake with her, and she was ready to stake Henry with it. But being a vampire, Henry had the supernatural ability to heal fast, regaining his strength and forging strong ahead into the battle. Patty knew that she wouldn’t be able to finish him off as he was too fast for her. So Patty did what she had to do. She cast a Mimicking Spell on herself as the last resort. Before Henry had the chance to pounce on her and finish her off, Patty managed to complete the spell in time and she stabbed her own heart with the magical stake clutched inside her hand. Henry screamed in utter madness, the overwhelming pain making his twist and turn like a raging cyclone, and eventually, Henry succumbed and finally met the real death. When Patty died, Henry died as
well. Patty merged herself with Henry through the Mimicking Spell. Whatever happened to her would happen to Henry. So if Patty died, Henry would die as well. Patty had no choice but to make that ultimate sacrifice for the greater good. When Henry finally met the real death, the Good Pole became unlocked, unleashing the Supreme Light into the world in torrential magnitudes, fighting against the Supreme Darkness that was already spreading like mad in the world. The Supreme Light and Darkness collided against one another, creating an explosive effect which reverberated throughout the world, and eventually, the balance of good and evil was able to be restored once more. Civil wars stopped, people started realizing the irrationalities of their deadly behaviors, and the equilibrium was maintained. The Supreme Light and Darkness were forced back into their own Poles, locked up for good, and the Universe assigned new Keys again for the Poles. I have no idea who the Keys were at that moment, but the good news was that both Poles had new Keys who would be the guardians of the Pole, maintaining the balance of good and evil in this world.” Maggie finished the last sentence with a huge sigh, relieved that she had completed the long historical account.
Feeling parched, Maggie waved her hand, and magically, a bottle of water sailed across the air in her direction, and Maggie retrieved it and downed it in a gulp. Maggie had a slight sense of relief that she still had some of that good magic left inside of her, despite the invasion of the Great Darkness that was stripping everyone of their supernatural abilities and magic. Sooner or later, everyone in the world would be utterly powerless once the Great Darkness made its complete circle.
Maggie turned to look at both Lipton and Ken, trying to gauge their expressions. Lipton seemed to be deep in thought, whereas Ken was mumbling incorrigibly to himself with an anxiety-stricken look on his face.
After hearing Maggie’s story about Athena and everything else revolving around her, Lipton felt something strong pound within his chest, jarring his senses. There was something about Maggie’s story that seemed to connect with the present moment, but Lipton couldn’t quite figure out what it was yet. Something about Athena’s story seemed to strike a chord with what was going on in the present. Lipton tried to piece the pieces together, feeling like he was about to embark on an important discovery, but he still couldn’t find the answer he was looking for. Athena … why was her story so familiar, as though it had some substantial link to the current predicament they were all facing? Lipton grunted as he mustered every reason he could think of that would link Athena to the Great Darkness that was currently spreading like wildfire in the world.
“What are you thinking about, Lipton?” Maggie observed, her forehead creasing in concern. “You look like you have a lot of things going on in your mind right now.”
Lipton pulled away from the jumble of thoughts for a second, and flicked a glance at Maggie.
“There’s something fishy about Athena’s story,” Lipton began, pacing back and forth like a caged animal, trying hard to piece the pieces together. “I feel as though Athena’s story is linked to what is happening now …”
“But what’s the connection there?” Maggie asked skeptically, gazing the crystal ball in front of her.
“That’s why I’m trying hard to think!” Lipton fumed, agonized by the fact that he couldn’t seem to look for the answer even though it seemed to be drifting within reach. “Trying to find the link!”
There was something Maggie had said about Athena earlier which sounded so familiar. It had something to do with her … name. Yes, now Lipton recalled. There was something familiar about Athena’s name which stirred the waves of suspicion within Lipton.
Lipton stopped pacing and swirled to face Maggie, and demanded, “I remember you said something about Athena … something about her name sounds very familiar …”
“Her name?” Maggie repeated, as though she couldn’t quite comprehend what Lipton was trying to say. “What about her name?”
“There was something about her name …” Lipton trailed off, gazing deep into Maggie’s eyes, as though all the answers he needed were within those sockets.
“I don’t know where you’re getting at … but her name was Athena … Athena Havens …”
All of a sudden, Lipton was jarred by the shockwaves of revelation, igniting that lightbulb moment. It all made sense now. No wonder Athena’s name sounded familiar.
“Athena Havens,” Lipton murmured, his eyes widening as though he was struck by an epiphany. “Dove Havens. Havens.” How did the two of them bear the same last name? Were they related in one way or another?
Lipton stared long and hard at Maggie. “I just met an Enchantress named Dove recently. She introduced herself as Dove Havens. Athena also had the last name of … Havens?”
Maggie nodded slowly, trying to follow Lipton. “Yes, her name was Athena Havens. Her name was so notorious during her time that it has been etched in the minds of those who have learned about her spanning generations. Nobody would ever forget that name. She was one of the most notorious Enchantresses in the annals of history. I wouldn’t forget that name.”
“Is this Enchantress named Dove somehow related to Athena?” Lipton asked with a sense of urgency, waves of anticipation building within him at the thought that he was finally getting the answer that he was seeking.
“I’ve heard about Dove,” Maggie admitted, her eyes suddenly turning dark and gloomy, as though she was venturing into a treacherous territory. “Dove is a very introverted Enchantress and not much is known about her. I heard that she is related to the notorious Athena Havens. She’s the great great great granddaughter of Athena … that’s as much as I know about this Dove. Dove lives in seclusion from other Enchantresses, and she doesn’t like to mingle with them. From what I heard about her, she lives in a world of her own, and doesn’t like interference.”
“So they’re related,” Lipton repeated, as if trying to convince himself. He started pacing again, trying to find the connection between Athena and Dove. He thought so hard about it that there were deep lines creasing his forehead.
“How did you meet Dove?” Maggie asked, curiosity getting the best of her.
Lipton began to explain everything about Dove and how he met her to Maggie.
When Maggie finished hearing Lipton’s account about Dove, she let out a gasp, her face tense with anxiety.
“Are you saying that Dove is now with Rellie?” Maggie asked, springing up to her feet.
“Yes, Dove said that she would protect Rellie from Catan,” Lipton said slowly, his heart beating with a sense of trepidation. “Dove said that she would take care of Rellie, and to make sure that Catan doesn’t get her hands on her.”
Upon hearing that, Maggie was gripped by the sudden realization that something was wrong about this whole picture. Her heart pounded ferociously against her ribcage as the puzzles started to piece together, forming the ugly truth which stunned her to the core that she almost felt the air being forced out of her lungs.
“What’s wrong?” Lipton demanded, placing his hands firmly on Maggie’s shoulders when he saw that she was suddenly panic-stricken.
“No!” Maggie cried, her face twisted in anguish as she shook her head in disbelief. “It’s not Catan that Rellie needs protecting from!”
“What are you saying?” Lipton gave Maggie a forceful shake on the shoulders, his eyes pinned hard on her face.
“Rellie needs protecting from …,” Maggie trailed off, taking a deep gulp as though the last word was stuck in her throat. She took a deep breath and said, “Dove. Don’t you see? It is Dove who poses a great threat to Rellie at this moment. Rellie is in deep danger right now as we speak. She needs protecting from Dove, not Catan. Dove is holding Rellie in her possession for her evil agenda!”
“What? I thought Catan was the evil one all this while! I thought he was the one who wanted to tap onto the dark powers of the Dark Pole, and in order to do that, he needed Rellie to gain access! So why is Dove the dangerous one here? I don’t get it!” Lipton was so struck w
ith confusion that he involuntarily arched his wings so high that he almost floated off the floor, overwhelmed by a mixture of emotions.
“Yes, Catan is evil, alright. There’s no doubt about that. But can’t you see? Dove is clearly using Rellie for her own agenda without being too conspicuous about it. Do you know why the Great Darkness has already started spreading?”
Lipton opened his mouth to respond but no words came out. He didn’t even know what Maggie was talking about anymore. Lipton thought that he had almost pieced all the puzzles together, but now it seemed that the puzzles were started to slip away from his grasp again, sending him into a spiral of deeper confusion.
“No,” Ken finally uttered after a long moment of silence. Like Lipton, he too seemed confused at the flurry of words which Maggie had spouted out.
“I’m beginning to see Dove’s intentions clearly,” Maggie said, her voice slightly trembling as the emotions pounded inside her chest. She turned to look at Lipton. “After you mentioned about Dove having the same last name as Athena, I began to piece the puzzles together, one by one until I could see the whole picture. You see, Dove is related to Athena, her notorious late great great great grandmother who once attempted to become the Supreme Ruler of the world but failed because her plan was thwarted by a group of good Enchantress. What if … Dove is now trying to fulfill that mission which Athena failed? What if Dove is trying to become the next Supreme Ruler, to become something which her great great great grandmother had tried so hard to achieve but never succeeded? Dove is planning this all out so that once she succeeds, she would bring glory to the name of Havens, to fulfill the evil works of her great great great grandmother.”
A thunderstorm of questions whirled inside Lipton’s head. Everything Maggie had said seemed to make some sense, but there were still some gaps in Maggie’s explanation.
“But if Dove is trying to become the Supreme Ruler to fulfill the late Athena’s destiny,” Lipton asked, “then wouldn’t she been risking her life? After all, she’s an Enchantress with good magic naturally etched inside of her. If she were to tap onto the powers of the Dark Pole to become the Supreme Ruler, wouldn’t that completely kill her as she’s not naturally adapted to dark magic yet?”
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